The device of the species is typically used in reciprocating piston machines which have been known for many years in a wide variety of designs and for a wide variety of intended applications. A reciprocating piston machine of this kind may be a compressor, thus, for example, a compressor for the air conditioning system of a motor vehicle. Compressors of this kind are also usually referred to as air-conditioner compressors, and include a housing, which contains an externally driven compressor unit or pump unit. The compressor unit designed, for example, as an axial piston machine, includes, in turn, a plurality of pistons which are able to reciprocate within a cylinder block. In response to the rotation of a wobble plate mostly designed as an annular disk, or in response to the slewing motion of a corresponding swash plate, the pistons are reciprocated. The housing is typically closed.
Swash-plate compressors or swash-ring compressors are well known in a wide variety of designs. In this connection, reference is made merely exemplarily to the German Patent Application DE 44 41 721 A1, as well as to the German Patent DE 100 10 142 C2.
With respect to other design details, reference is made to the German Patent DE 197 49 727 C2.
In the case of the reciprocating piston machine known from the German Patent DE 197 49 727 C2, a circular, annular swash plate, also referred to as swash ring, is provided, whose inclination relative to the machine shaft is adjustable. The swash plate is driven to rotate by the machine shaft. This is accomplished via a sliding member that is axially guided on the machine shaft as well as via a driving pin that is configured at a distance from the machine shaft. The pistons have articulated connections with which the swash plate engages slidingly.
Specifically, the known reciprocating piston machine includes a power unit having a plurality of correspondingly driven pistons, the pistons being guided in cylinder bores and following the slewing/wobble motion of the annular disk via special coupling elements and executing their stroke in this manner.
The device of the species used in the known reciprocating piston machine is typically fabricated from relatively thick sheet metal which results directly in a considerable unit size in order to allow a large enough clearance space for the shoes and swash ring. Moreover, to enlarge the clearance space for the shoes and swash ring, it is not unusual for stamped formations to be required which outwardly displace the piston bridge material, thereby again enlarging the installation space, namely by radially enlarging the same. This is all completely diametrically counter to miniaturization, i.e., a reduction in installation space, that is always to be aspired to today.